Foster Your Dream Goes Inside Broadway

Creating the Magic is what Inside Broadway does.   December 2015.

Foster Your Dream was lucky enough to be invited by Michael Presser to go see how the broadway show “Finding Neverland” is made.

FYD-Finding-Neverland

Inside Broadway busses in classes of school children from all over NYC.  We brought several ACS workers and several very lucky children with us and were treated to the VIP section.  Once again, we can’t show you our underage children where no parent approves the use of photos on the internet so you’ll just have to take our word for it how ‘wowed’ our kids were!

finding-neverland-inside-broadway

The children were treated to a super special behind-the-scenes look at how all the magic happens on Broadway.  Right in front of their eyes, the scenery moves, the lights swing around and all on the command of the stage manager who stands out front and explains everything.

presser-finding-neverland

We will be  working with the folks at Inside Broadway and the Admin of Children’s Services to figure out how to get more of our very special clients to these very special daytime events.

December 2015.  Many thanks to Donald Yonker, Michael Presser and Nicholas Sala for your time and energy in getting us there.

Law Firm Hosts Foster Your Dream VIP Circus Event

Ringling Brothers Circus is a Foster Your Dream come true!

FYD-circus

Morgan Lewis & Bockius (formerly Bingham McCutchen) donated their box at Staples Center so some of our families could enjoy a fun filled Ringling Brothers Circus VIP event!

“What a great bonding experience for us!” said one of the Foster Parents!  We are ever grateful to the lawyers (who wish to remain anonymous) who consistently think of us and our families!

FYD-WANGS-aug-14-2015

In addition to a wonderful and special time the food was AMAZING!

Thanks to Morgan Lewis & Bockius, we were able to host TWO MORE FAMILIES but no photos were taken during these other two events.  But a total of 3 families were able to go and enjoy a safe, happy place with a VIP flair!

Thanks to all who made this dream come true!!!

Foster Your Dream salutes DAMES AT SEA on Broadway!

FYE salutes Dames At Sea!

FYD salutes Dames At Sea!

Fun was had by all!

Fun was had by all!

Nov. 2015. Foster Your Dream salutes DAMES AT SEA because an Angel in the theatre community realized how perfect this show is for families and donated 80 tickets! YAY. Our families … which are comprised of bio-parents and foster parents, both single and couples, over-18-foster-youth without their foster parents, caregivers and case workers and of course our Dream Kids …  had the BEST TIME this past Sunday on Broadway! Our lucky ticket holders gathered to enjoy the spectacle of music, colors, actors, singing and awesome tap dancing at the Helen Hayes theatre in the heart of Times Square!

As usual, we can not post photos of the children unless we have permission from the legal guardians, hence the blurring out of one of the cutest stars of Sunday’s audience. Let’s just say that seven-year-old Little Pink Jacket danced for the producers, posed with the cast members and hugged everyone with lots of squeezey love! She even made the saluting sailor roar with laughter at HER clever conversation and antics. (By the way, I’m looking for an angel who wants to give her or pay for her to get some dance lessons somewhere in Harlem, where she is currently living! Contact me if you can help!)

The show was magnificent and the cast spent time after the show for a meet and greet and a quick photo opportunity.

Thank you, Cast for spending time with u!

Thank you, Cast for spending time with us!

Many thanks to the Producers Sarahbeth Grossman and Anna Roberts Ostroff and Company Manager Holli Campbell for helping us get it all organized and for being so understanding. Your extra energy has made a huge difference in what our families can experience and what we can offer them!

Arriving at DAMES AT SEA!

Arriving at DAMES AT SEA!

"I Can't Wait to Grow Up so i can see DAMES AT SEA!"

Says Mr. Dapper: “I Can’t Wait to Grow Up so I can see DAMES AT SEA!”

"Lucky" Danny Gardner surrounded by FYD love!

“Lucky” Danny Gardner surrounded by FYD love!

Eloise Kropp gets some "Ruby" love!

Mara Davi gets some love!

Magical!

Magical!

Thanks to all!!!

November 2015.

Sue Wolf (original Dreamer Upper of Foster Your Dream!)

Thanks to the volunteers and coordinators for this event: Jamie Kendall, Donald Yonker, Sandra Garni, Julia, ACS Goddess Deidra Sutton, ACS magician Darrell Williams!!!!

FYD goes NUTS for the NUTCRACKER!

The-Nutckrakcr-coloringDewonnie Fredrick invites Foster Your Dream to BAM for a full day of fun including workshops, dancing and tickets to the NUTCRACKER BALLET starring Misty Copeland!

 

crayoning-the-nutcracker

 

Bright and early at 10:30 in the morning we are at Brooklyn Academy of Music’s dance studio and rehearsal room where the children begin coloring and learn about the story of the Nutcracker Ballet!

ballet-words

 

 

ABT, better known as American Ballet Theatre, knows how to talk to kids! Seems they’ve done this before! Mr. Richard explains leaps and moves and terms to our enthralled children.

inwood-house-caregivers-extraordinaire-watch-dance

 

 

The Inwood House staff and caregivers look on with joy in their hearts as the kids get up and on their feet to leap and dance the morning away!

ABT Richard & kids leg extendABT Richard & kids hands on hipsABT Richard & kids curl forward

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picnic-lunch kids-engage-during-lunch

After our performances Dewonnie organized a special lunch for us.

 

 

 

We get to eat on plaid picnic blankets while chatting with all our new friends.

 

 

nutcracker-take-home

BAM-oooooh

 

We gather our take-away creations …

 

 

 

 

…and go to the big theatre.  As we enter the building the children say oooooo!  Can you see why?

 

 

 

We see Misty Copeland be brilliant (sorry, no photos allowed in the theatre) and when the children on the stage do the silly-walk dance that our children learned in the morning, they were so excited since they connected with it in such a special way. Some of them were dancing in their seats!

Special thanks to:

DEWONNIE FREDERICK. She invited us. Dewonnie-Frederick

 Ilex Bien-Aime and Dewonnie!Dewonnie-Elix-1

The creative ABT team.ABT-staff inwoodhouse-group-nutcracker

VALERIE WORTHY who made sure all our children got there. WOW.

 

 

 

 

mr-richard-and-ballerinas

 

RICHARD TODA who was magical with the children.

 

 

 

Remember, a dream can be sparked by a ticket IN.nutcracker-tickets

Signature Theatre invites FYD to see Our Lady of Kibeho

Signature Theatre, on world-famous 42nd street in New York City, invited us to see “Our Lady Of Kibeho” which is a thrilling new play.

OUR-LADY-OF-KIBEHO-PR-PHOTOBased on a true story that the writer Katori Hall heard about on a trip to Rwanda, this play is a conversation starter and quite brilliantly staged and performed.

We had a group from PS 50 come which is connected with Children’s Village.  They were a little late due to a brief snow-slush-mush storm but the amazing staff at the Signature Theatre welcomed them with open arms!

group and theatre usher

Sometimes in theatre, once the show starts, the House Managing Staff has to wait until an appropriate time to let people in.

Dee-hosuemanager

 

While we were waiting, Dee the House Manager, took extra time and loving energy to keep our group in-the-know so none of the happenings on stage would be missed!

dee and group

dee-explains-things

We also taught the kids what a House Manager does other than wear a cool headset.

 

signature-theatre-lobby-and-cafe

 

 

 

What a comfy and friendly place to see theatre by the way!  There’s even a cafe!

 

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So even with snow and mush outside, the warm and cozy theatre was a haven for thought, fun and learning.  Three of our Dream Kids even decided they might like to become actors!

 

Thank you to all who give to us because sometimes a dream starts with a ticket IN.

our lady of kibeho ticket

 

 

 

 

Barrow Theatre hosts FYD to SWAMP JUICE puppet show

SWAMP JUICE…what’s that?

FYD-swamp-juice smiles

Our Dream Kids got invited to a very fun and unique puppet show at the Barrow Street Theatre in Greenwich Village, New York! It was silly and funny and colorful and creative and it had an eye-popping 3-D grand finale!

jeff-achtem-swamp-juice-puppets

Using Indonesian shadow puppets made from found objects, Jeff Achtem created a magical journey that inspired our kids to use their imagination and say ‘ooooo’ a lot!

We had some challenges getting the families to the theatre during bad weather and the Thanksgiving Holiday, but the Barrow Theatre staff helped us by being patient and understanding.  Foster Your Dream continues to create opportunities thanks to people like Victoria and Amy who understood that the families who DID show up had the BEST TIME EVER!

FYD-SWAMPJUICE-FAMILY-SMILE

We even had fun BEFORE the show began when two young and excited FYD theatre patrons enthusiastically handed out SWAMP JUICE flyers so everyone would feel as excited and welcome as they did!  Who do you think had more fun?

FYD-giver-gals-swamp-juice

 

The Givers?

Happy-recipient

 

 

 

 

 

 

Or the Receivers?

From the reactions of the other patrons, I believe it was “even-steven!”

The pure joy that we had thanks to Barrow Street Theatre’s kind help, is forever.

FYD-happy-gals

This is why we bust our cookies to get theatre experiences for Foster Your Dream.  You can take away everything from a child, but you can not take away FUN MEMORIES.